


Comfort

by syrinqa



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Claire is Sherry's guardian, Gen, Leon and Chris are mentioned, Nightmares, Post RE2, William and Annette are hinted at, but nothing bad happens after that.. kind of au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:09:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24061891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/syrinqa/pseuds/syrinqa
Summary: Sherry has nightmares. Claire does what any good parent would do.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Comfort

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written in years, so I'm rusty. I hope this is at least readable.

The sound of rain gently hitting the window occasionally followed by a crackle of thunder relaxed Claire enough that made her eyes begin to flutter shut. Sleep, much to her dismay, could not be indulged in as she remembered the not even half-written letter lying on the worn wooden desk just in front of her. She sighed and forced herself upright in her chair, a groan emitting from the piece of furniture as she did so. She had sworn to herself that she’d finish this letter to Leon by tonight. The poor guy was prone to worry and she knew it. She understood, of course, after all they had been through, she insisted that she and Sherry could take care of one another just fine and are perfectly safe in response to any letter that he expressed some concern in, but he fretted over them no matter what she’d say. 

The two have been keeping in touch since after fleeing from Raccoon City together with Sherry. At first they discussed more serious matters, usually in person while they could afford to still be in each other’s presence, but it dissolved into casual conversations over short phone calls and letters as they had grown apart in distance; Leon asking how Sherry and she were holding up, giving a run through of how his week went, occasionally writing about some cute dog he saw... little things like that. Those were very common in his letters. 

She’d read Leon’s letters together with the girl and continue the exchange with input from the two of them, but this time she hadn’t been able to make time to do so. Life has gotten quite busy lately. Claire had just managed to get back into contact with her brother, Chris, and had been catching up with him (or, well, scolding him for going off without a word to her) and Sherry had her education to worry about. 

She had no choice but to scribble on the paper last minute, mentally apologizing to the poor guy for keeping him waiting.

It had been around two hours, if she had to guess, before the letter was finally finished.

“It could have been done sooner if I quit dozing off,” she muttered.

She set the pen down. Her thin fingers moved to run through her tangled hair which now fell at her shoulders, free from the tightly tied ponytail she usually sported.

Her head flipped towards the window next to the desk mid-brush, her eyes taking in the speckled night sky. It had to be way past a decent time to be awake (though, not that it was unusual for her these days. Trapped between the stress of taking care of a kid so suddenly and trying to get her life back on track, sleep hasn’t exactly been as good of a friend as it could be.)

“...I’ll send this out to Leon in the morning.”

She snapped out of her thoughts due to the sound of her bedroom door creaking. Turning around, Claire saw that the door had been ajar and there stood the child that she had recently taken under her wings. Her golden hair that usually was tied up messily now fell at her shoulders just like Claire’s, and her pale blue eyes blinked away the tears that she was fighting off.

“Couldn’t sleep again, Sherry?” 

“No…”

Claire stood up, pushing the chair in from behind her before approaching Sherry. The kid was prone to intense nightmares almost every night. Sometimes she would insist that she could cope with it herself, other nights she needed Claire to stick by her side for a little while. No matter how exhausted she may be, Claire was always willing to be there when she was asked for. She knew that even the strongest people need someone by their side. 

The events in Raccoon City had left a huge dark stain on Sherry Birkin’s mental state, and no matter how hard she tried to repress the memories she could not seem to move past them… not quite yet. She had long forgiven her parents for their mistakes, that no longer was a burden to her, but she could not shake off the fear she had felt when she stood before her father who had become mutated beyond recognition. Sherry jolted awake every night in cold sweat, gasping for air and riddled with such raw anxiety when recalling the many times she had thought she was going to die. 

“I’m sorry to ask so late, but can you stay with me again tonight?” Sherry asked through a few sniffs. 

She rubbed her eyes with the back of one of her hands, the other reaching out for Claire’s. Claire took it willingly, giving the small hand a gentle squeeze. 

“Of course I can,” she smiled warmly.

Sherry led Claire down the short hall of their apartment. It was dark, so dark that it was nearly impossible to see if not for the dim yellow light that spilled past Sherry’s doorway. She had left her own door a bit open on her way to Claire’s room, so all she had to do was give it a push so she and her guardian could squeeze through. They remained silent for a bit as Sherry fixed her bed up and climbed into it, dragging the covers over herself while Claire chose to sit on the edge to simply watch over the girl. 

Their eyes met, Sherry let out another sniffle. “Claire, can you please lay with me?”

‘That's a rare request,’ she thought. Sherry usually fell asleep soon enough as long as Claire sat with her until she fell asleep. She obliged nonetheless, if Sherry needed company, she wasn’t going to turn her away. 

Claire laid down next to Sherry after she had scooted over a bit to make room for her, almost immediately clinging onto the woman. Some nights it was easier to fall asleep with the knowledge that her hero is not going to go anywhere, that she won’t leave her alone like her own parents would time and time again, that she will protect her when she cannot fend for herself.

Claire brushed strands of blonde hair away from the child’s face, murmuring words of comfort just loud enough that the other could hear. Such a small thing meant so much to the girl, whose breathing began to slow as her voice calmed her down. Claire’s voice was just another reminder of her presence. She went on to talk about simple things; the letter she received from Leon, what she had written to him in response, and what they should do the next time they see Chris and Leon. She knew Sherry wasn’t exactly listening, as humming was her only reply. 

Eventually the humming stopped. Sherry had managed to fall asleep to the comfort of her guardian angel’s voice.


End file.
